The Red Foxes

A 1961 meeting marked both the birth of the Marist College basketball team and the adoption of the Red Foxes as the official nickname and mascot.

Athletic Director Brother William Murphy decided to organize a varsity basketball team to play scheduled games against other schools and thought a nickname and logo would be appropriate.

While glancing at a sports catalog, Br. Murphy noticed a reynard, more commonly known as a red fox, on the cover of the book. He decided this fury little creature, indigenous to the Hudson River Valley, was to become the mascot and logo of Marist College teams.

The reynard comes from a great medieval cycle of stories that originated in the low countries, northern France and Western Germany. The rarity of the word prompted Br. Murphy to choose the general term Red Foxes.

Red & White

The red and white college colors are derived from the coloration of the fox. The Red Fox is most commonly a rusty red, with a white underbelly, black ear tips and legs and a bushy tail.